The Senior Leadership is responsible for the overall planning and operations of the programs and activities of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center. The Senior Leadership is comprised of the Director, Deputy Director and eight Associate Directors and has undergone a number of changes during the current project period. Dr. Steven Rosen has continued as Director since 1989. Recruitment for the position of Deputy Director, proposed and approved at the time of the last site visit, was successfully completed in May, 2002 with the recruitment of Leonidas Platanias, MD, PhD, from the University of Illinois. Leadership of the three research divisions has changed during this period as well. In August, 2002, Teresa Woodruff, PhD assumed the position of Associate Director for Basic Sciences Research replacing Dr. J. Douglas Engel who left Northwestern. In September, 2004, Susan Gapstur, PhD, assumed the position of Associate Director for Cancer Prevention and Control Research, replacing Dr. Philip Greenland. This change reflected recommendations of the last site visit team for more focused expertise in this division. In March, 2006, Jonathan Licht, MD, replaced Dr. Leo Gordon as Chief of Hematology/Oncology and was appointed simultaneously as Associate Director for Clinical Sciences Research. The Associate Director for Education, Mary Kathleen Rundell, PhD, and Associate Director for Administration, Mr. Timothy Volpe remain unchanged. In addition to the five major operating divisions of the Cancer Center headed by these Associate Directors, three new Associate Director positions have been added. Based on recommendations of the last site visit team and input from Internal and External Advisory Boards for increased emphasis on translational research, the position of Associate Director for Translational Research was established and Jill C. Pelling, PhD was recruited in August, 2004 from the University of Kansas Medical Center. In response to significant growth, two other Associate Director positions were established in April, 2003. Al B. Benson, III, MD serves as Associate Director for Clinical Investigations overseeing the Center's clinical trials affiliate network, and Julian Schink, MD serves as Associate Director for Clinical Affairs, directing the Clinical Cancer Center. CCSG support is not requested for the Associate Directors for Clinical Investigations and Clinical Affairs.